Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Many believe that the term Black Friday derives from the idea that businesses operate at a loss until the day after Thanksgiving when massive sales allow them to turn a profit.
In the late 1980s, merchants began spreading the red-to-black profit narrative in order to signify a positive boost in retail sales, which led to the phrase ‘Black Friday’. In more recent years, it is followed by other shopping holidays, including Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday.
Every year come the end of November, retailers bombard potential customers with emails and ads about impossible deals to buy their goods.
While many consumers get excited about the heavily discounted products, the Black Friday sale extravaganza comes with a very hefty price tag for the environment.
Breaking that shopping habit is not always easy. Here’s a breakdown of actions that you can implement to avoid the sales consumerism trap:
Ask yourself before making a purchase if it is something you need. Additionally, you will waste time and space storing something you don't need, also squandering your hard-earned money.
If you are purchasing an item just because it is a great deal, ask yourself if you are really getting a great deal. A great deal means getting the most out of your money. However, spending your hard-earned money on something you don’t really need is never a great deal.
Do not purchase items as a form of entertainment or to relieve stress in your life. When you do this, you actually end up creating more stress in your life.
The consumption of all of that material has an enormous environmental impact in terms of its carbon footprint. And much of what is bought on Black Friday is not destined to have a long life.
It's always a good idea to focus on the product quality rather than the offer or discount that comes with it. By continuing to say yes to products with a short lifespan, you set the future of buying more and more even when you don’t need them.